A Belgium-based company, Dredging, Environmental & Marine Engineering NV (DEME) is interested in contributing to the development of a new deep-sea port project in Patimban, Subang, West Java, the CEO of Belgian foreign trade agency Flanderts Investment de Trade (FIT), Claire Tillekaerts, said on Thursday.

“DEME is one of many other companies from Belgium wanting to invest in the new port development,” Tillekaerts said on the sidelines of Princess Astrid of Belgium’s visit to Bandung to witness the signing of a letter of intent between Wallonia, a region in Belgium, and the West Java provincial administration.

DEME, established in 1852, is experienced in developing major ports, such as building infrastructure in Dubai and land reclamation in Singapore, Tillekaerts said.

Meanwhile, the Subang administration is currently revising the city’s spatial layout in relation to the port development plan. There already is a small port in the city, and it has the potential to be expanded up to 200 hectares or more. The new terminal is expected to have a capacity of between 6.6 to 7 million 6.1-meter containers, based on Transportation Ministry data.

In addition, Patimban has an 8-kilometer road with a width of between 24 to 30 m. The road stretches from the port to the Munduraya section of the north coast main road.

Patimban Port is to be a replacement for the planned Cilamaya Port in Karawang, West Java, which was scrapped because of concerns it would affect the expansion of state-run oil and gas firm Pertamina’s nearby offshore operations. The government has moved the project further east.

In relation to the Belgian company’s desire to invest in the port development, West Java Deputy Governor Deddy Mizwar said the company offered to contribute because of its expertise in developing ports.

Deddy declined to reveal the exact location where the new port will be developed. He only said that the location would be between Subang and Indramayu, “Those are the possible places to build a new port,” he said.

Deddy also added, in relation to the signing of the letter of intent between Wallonia and West Java regions, that the signing was a good opportunity to increase the two regions’ cooperation in the economic, trade, business and investment sectors.

The visit involved seven senior state officials including the Foreign Minister, the Trade Minister, local officials and 300 entrepreneurs and business entities from the Kingdom of Belgium.

“The West Java provincial administration has appointed the province’s bureau of administration and regional autonomy as a liaison, while the Wallonia government appointed the Wallonia Export-Investment Agency as the organization in charge of the cooperation.”

Deddy said, adding that he hoped the business entities could also contribute to the cooperation although this was an intergovernmental agreement. (vny) -